1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel that can reduce ineffective power consumption and improve heat dissipation.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Plasma display panel (PDP) apparatuses can provide large screens and certain advantages, such as a high-quality image display, a very thin and light design, and a wide-range viewing angle. PDPs have attracted considerable attention as the most promising next-generation flat display devices, because they can be manufactured in a simplified manner and can be easily manufactured in a large size compared with other flat display panels.
Such PDPs are classified into a direct current (DC) type, an alternating current (AC) type, and a hybrid type according to discharge voltages applied to discharge cells. PDPs may also be classified into a facing discharge type and a surface discharge type according to the type of a discharge structure. In recent years, AC type PDPs having a surface discharge type three-electrode structure are generally used.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional AC surface-discharge type PDP 10 having a three-electrode structure. The PDP 10 includes an upper substrate 11 and a lower substrate 21 opposite to the upper substrate 11.
Common electrodes 12 and scan electrodes 13 together define discharge gaps and are formed on a bottom surface of the upper substrate 11. The common electrodes 12 and the scan electrodes 13 are buried in an upper dielectric layer 14. A protective layer 15 is formed on the lower surface of the upper dielectric layer 14.
Address electrodes 22, intersecting the common electrodes 12 and the scan electrodes 13, are formed on the upper surface of the lower substrate 21. The address electrodes 22 are buried in a lower dielectric layer 23. Barrier ribs 24 are arranged at predetermined intervals on the upper surface of the lower dielectric layer 23, thereby partitioning discharge spaces 25. A phosphor layer 26 is formed in each of the discharge spaces 25. The discharge spaces 25 are filled with discharge gas.
In the PDP 10, ultraviolet radiation is produced from plasma generated due to discharge in the discharge spaces 25. The ultraviolet light excites the phosphor layers 26. The excited phosphor layers 26 emit visible light, and thus an image is displayed using the visible light.
However, about 40% of the visible light emitted by the phosphor layers 26 are absorbed by the electrodes 12 and 13, the upper dielectric layer 14, and the protective layer 15 sequentially formed on the lower surface of the upper substrate 11 because those elements (12-15) block the light transmitting path of the PDP 10. Thus, the conventional PDP 10 has reduced luminous efficiency. Furthermore, when an image is being displayed for a long period of time, charged particles of the discharge gas are ion sputtered to the phosphor layers 26 due to an electrical field, so that image sticking or permanent afterimage occurs. This leads to reduction of the lifespan of the PDP 10.